Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been inspiring players on the basketball court for years, and now his impact has reached the women’s tennis court. Mirra Andreeva came from behind to win at the Women’s Tennis Association‘s BNP Paribas Open 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, and she seemingly had a secret weapon that helped her do so.
The 17-year-old sensation revealed that she listened to one of James’ old interviews for motivation ahead of her victory at Indian Wells.
“I was listening to an interview with LeBron James, and he was saying that even if you don’t play your 100%, or even if you don’t feel you’re 100% physically, I’m going to choose to be 100% mentally,” she began.
“He said that’s what makes us champions, so I kind of tried to do the same. It didn’t really work in the beginning, but in the end, I managed to overcome that to really go for my shots and act like one of the legends.”
Andreeva beat world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to claim her second WTA 1000 title in a row, becoming the youngest female player to win back-to-back since 1997. The young star also took home the trophy at the Dubai Championships two weeks prior.
James caught wind of Andreeva’s comments to the Tennis Channel and responded through his Instagram story.
“Mirra CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Happy to have helped but honestly YOU did THAT!! All your hard work, drive, and dedication towards your craft! KEEP GOING!” The four-time NBA champion capped his message off with a hashtag saying, “Strive for greatness.”
Andreeva didn’t only give props to King James, however. She has so far used her post-match victory speeches to also thank herself.
“I would again like to thank myself for fighting until the end and for always believing in me and for never quitting,” she said.
The Russian-born player notched her fifth-straight win over a top-10 competitor, including taking down No. 1 Sabalenka and No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who was once a World No. 1 herself. Andreeva is the first tennis player under 18 to beat the top two-seeded women at the same WTA tournament since Serena Williams at the 1999 US Open.
The post LeBron James reacts to Mirra Andreeva’s shoutout after Indian Wells win appeared first on ClutchPoints.
